Stay
by Oneturtledove
Summary: I miss you, even though you're right there.


Disclaimer: Not provided at character's request.

A/N: I miss Mulder and Scully. I never write them anymore, and I am having such a hard time getting their voices in my head again. I never thought this would happen. It makes me want to cry. I just need some quiet time with them I think…

* * *

Her teeth gripped tightly to her lip as she focused on the screen in front of her, typing furiously. He could hardly tell when she stopped and backspaced for as fast as her fingers were flying. A lock of hair fell down in front of her eyes and she blew it out of the way, not wanting to be stopped in her endeavor, even for something so small. He longed to reach over and tuck that hair away, place his finger under her chin and make her look into his eyes. Make her stop her frenzied case work for just a second. But he was on one side of the room, and she was on the other and she didn't look like she would look away from the screen even if a semi drove though the room. She sighed and tipped her head back, her fingers still working as she gave her eyes a short break.

She'd been awake for three days, running herself into the ground even as the case came to a screeching halt. He'd never seen her quite so obsessed before, but maybe it was because he himself was feeling such a disconnect from the case, and he'd never stopped his own frantic searching to look at her. That behavior carried over from work to their personal relationship. They were friends, but sometimes he didn't even see her. Didn't even look at her they way she was tonight. Didn't see the lamplight reflected in her hair, the way she flexed her toes when she yawned, how slender she was when she traded her suits for pajamas.

"Hey Scully," he said, standing up from the bed and crossing the room to her. She looked up at him, her eyes adjusting from the screen to his face.

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you take a break?"

"Can't. I'm on a roll."

"Scully, you haven't slept."

"I'm okay. I just want to finish this one thing…"

He sighed and reached over, tipping her screen down. She kept her eyes on it until she couldn't bend that way anymore.

"Mulder," she complained, taking her hands off the computer and letting him close it. "I was working on that."

"Yes, but you're starting to get bags under those pretty little eyes of yours," he countered, putting the laptop on the bedside table. "You need sleep. I need sleep. So the only logical thing to do here is go to sleep."

"But these blankets are itchy and the mattress is lumpy and there aren't enough pillows. So now what?"

"I guess we burn this mofo down."

"Mulder."

"What? You didn't say it had to be a realistic solution."

She smiled and he rolled off the bed retrieving one of his extra pillows for her. She liked two to sleep on and one to wrap around. At least one pillow always ended up on the floor, but falling asleep did require three of them. She arranged them just right and settled down against them, pulling the covers up to her waist.

"Can you sleep with only one pillow?"

"I'll manage."

"Want to share one of mine?"

"How by the holy laws of physics are we going to do that?"

"I don't know. I'm tired."

"Another reason why you need sleep. We can't have you running off at the mouth during a case, can we?"

"Guess not," she yawned as he brought his pillow over so he could join her. He laid down parallel to her, watching her eyes crinkle as she yawned again.

"I don't really remember what it's like to sleep," she commented as he patted her hand. He smiled and she let out a soft laugh, pulling her pillow down a little bit.

"It's nice to see you smile, Mulder. You don't do that much."

"Neither do you."

"We should change that."

"How? You want us to start frequenting comedy clubs that have a two drink minimum because the jokes are so bad?"

"Oh yeah, that sounds like our scene. Well, maybe yours."

"You think you know me so well."

"Well the frequenting clubs maybe."

"I don't go to clubs, Scully. And I don't go to bars either. Once or twice when you've yelled at me using that high pitched shriek that only dogs can hear."

"You have a classification for it?"

"You almost hit it just now."

She smiled a little and focused her tired eyes on the bedspread.

"Mulder?"

"Yeah?"

"We don't talk much anymore."

"We don't?"

"Not like we used to. Not about nothing. We used to laugh."

"When do you think that stopped?"

She sighed and shrugged the shoulder that wasn't pinned against the mattress.

"I think it just kind of faded away."

"We've been through a lot of crap."

"Yeah, we have."

"Makes it hard to smile sometimes."

"Yeah."

He sighed and reached out to touch her shoulder.

"We should figure out a remedy for this problem. But first, we both need sleep."

He started to sit up, but her hand on his arm stopped him.

"Stay."

"Hmm?"

"Stay here. Talk to me?"

"About what?"

"Anything."

"Are you okay, Scully?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You never ask me to stay."

"I miss you."

He ran his fingers through her hair as she sighed.

"You see me everyday, Scully."

"I know that. But I still miss you."

His fingers trailed down her arm to her hand where he wrapped his fingers around hers. She smiled sleepily at him and scooted closer, resting against him gently.

"You gonna fall asleep?"

"I think so. You gonna fall asleep with me?"

"I think so."

He wrapped his arms around her, running his fingers up and down her back for several minutes before she spoke.

"Mulder?"

"Yeah?"

"This is weird."

"Want me to move?"

"No. That's what's weird."

He smiled and left a kiss on her forehead.

"I guess you really do miss me."

"Shut up, Mulder."

"What, now you're trying to run me off?"

"I'm a girl, you're not supposed to understand."

"Oh, well when you put it that way, I understand completely."

She smiled and he pulled the blankets up around her shoulders.

"Night, Scully."

"Night."

* * *

_Long time since I've seen your smile,  
But when I close my eyes,  
I remember  
You were no more than a child,  
But then so was I,  
Young and tender._

_Time carries on;  
I guess it always will,  
But deep inside my heart  
Time stands still._

_Stay for awhile.  
Well, it's good to see your smile,  
And I love your company.  
Stay for awhile.  
And remember the days gone by;  
For a moment it can seem  
Just the way it used to be._

_Snowfalls, phone calls, broken hearts,  
Clear summer days,  
Warm and lazy;  
Long walks, long talks, after dark;  
We vowed we'd never forget.  
Now it's hazy._

_Time takes it's toll,  
And time alters our view.  
It would be nice to  
Spend some time with you._

_Oh, stay for awhile.  
Well, it's good to see your smile,  
And I love your company._

_Stay for awhile.  
And remember the days gone by;  
For a moment it can seem  
Just the way it used to be._


End file.
